Cruiser D-Day Tomorrow

[Brentbba]

Don't know if many of you have seen my thread on a very annoying misfire I've had ever since the HG 4 months ago. Details here:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/386278-random-misfire.html?highlight=random+misfire

Tomorrow she goes out to Eric and Jay at Yotamasters to see if they can figure it out.

If they can't, I've been seriously condsidering parting her out and getting an FJ Cruiser. I really don't want to go this route, but if I can't trust the truck's reliability any longer...

 

[cruiserruf]

have you checked inside the distributer to see if the contacts/metals (whatever you call them) are properly spaced? long story short, was doing a tune up, messed with it and had miss fires. went to toyota sjc and they put it back in proper measurement.

 

[Brentbba]

have you checked inside the distributer to see if the contacts/metals (whatever you call them) are properly spaced? long story short, was doing a tune up, messed with it and had miss fires. went to toyota sjc and they put it back in proper measurement.

It's one thing I'm going to have Jay check. I could check the gap on the NE pick up. Spec is .2mm to .4mm and it's at the lower side. I don't own a 30mm socket to move the crank pully to get the pick up coil around in the distributor to check the gaps at G1 and G2. Rotor is making good contact on all six points in the cap.

My uneducated (but learning) brain thinks it's one or both of those gaps and/or the timing.

Ignition coil resistence on both the primary and secondary coil check out just fine and the truck starts up great, so I've ruled out the ignition coil.

I've also ruled out the 'brittle wire syndrome' of the engine harness back by the EGR pipe because I move the hell out of that harness both there and at the ECU w/o any change to the engine misfire pattern. Based on that 'scientific' test, I don't think it's got anything to do with the harness.

I've put a can of BG44K fuel system cleaner thru so I don't think it's the injectors. Read on a thread or two that removing some of the hoses above the engine can result in a coolant spill that could clog the injectors.

Don't know what kind of plugs Hanlon put in (twice new now), but if they aren't Denso, will probably have Eric/Jay put OEM Denso plugs in. Ignition wires are new as of August/September '09 and we've tested all six of those and continuity is good on them too.

I don't know what else it could be but the distributor housing and/or timing at this point. Everything else has been theoretically ruled out as a cause. The dizzy housing by itself isn't that expensive. Shoot - CDAN even pointed out that the 4 components of the dizzy separately are less expensive than the whole. Go figure that one out.

I just hope master Jay can figure it out! I really like the truck as she's currently configured and don't really want a car payment for the next 5 years. car will be paid off in November and my daily Miata next May I think. How often to many of us get to really celebrate NO car payments!

EDIT - just reread what you'd said - they were able to adjust the gaps in the housing? Hmmm...FSM says if those 3 gaps were not in spec to replace the distributor so figured if the gaps were buggered I'd have to spring for a new housing.

Stan - I need a truck prayer from you buddy.

 

[sdnative]

So you're going to part it out if you can't figure out a misfire? That doesn't make sense. I can see if you rolled it down a cliff, but a misfire??

 

[bluto]

Funny, I don't see posts chiming in on - "First dibs on the INTI rack!!!!!."


Brent, its sad to read that you may give up on the 80. Don't let her go yet.

So you're going to part it out if you can't figure out a misfire? That doesn't make sense. I can see if you rolled it down a cliff, but a misfire??

He probably fell in love with the White TRD edition of the FJCruiser - if I can afford a new car payment, I'll get one too.
But, no way I'm getting rid of my 80.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

So you're going to part it out if you can't figure out a misfire? That doesn't make sense. I can see if you rolled it down a cliff, but a misfire??

Seriously Brent, what are you thinking? It's likely something simple.

An FJCruiser to replace an 80??? LOL.

 

[raYGunn]

Seriously Brent, what are you thinking? It's likely something simple.

An FJCruiser to replace an 80??? LOL.

Don't do it, I went from an FJC to an 80 and I KNOW you will regret it.

 

[cruiserruf]

yes they were able to adjust the gaps. i was cleaning it out and made the mistake of unscrewing the gaps and not screwing it back on properly. had me stumped for a while so i just brought to toyota sjc.

IF ANYONE NEEDS TO GO TO TOYOTA OF SAN JUAN GO SEE RICHARD AT SERVICE DEPARTMENT. he won't give discounts but he knows which mechanic to send these vehicles to.

 

[Brentbba]

Seriously Brent, what are you thinking? It's likely something simple.

An FJCruiser to replace an 80??? LOL.

Just frustrated Andy. Shop that did the HG has given up, thus the trip to Yotamasters. In hindsight, they are probably more equiped for a simple suture and not really equiped for open heart surgery to put it in your terms. Great rep, but probably like to stick to routine maintanence, tune up's etc. and not a major work like a HG - not that they didn't do a good job on the HG itself. It probably is the dizzy, but I don't have to tools...yet...to finish off the FSM tests on it as I described above. It's the first place Robbie (powderpig) pointed me to for testing.

We'll see. I really don't want an FJ Cruiser. I'd much rather keep the 80.

 

[Brentbba]

yes they were able to adjust the gaps. i was cleaning it out and made the mistake of unscrewing the gaps and not screwing it back on properly. had me stumped for a while so i just brought to toyota sjc.

IF ANYONE NEEDS TO GO TO TOYOTA OF SAN JUAN GO SEE RICHARD AT SERVICE DEPARTMENT. he won't give discounts but he knows which mechanic to send these vehicles to.

That's good to know for the future. The drive to Corona and waiting the day isn't my idea of fun, but Eric/Jay have a great rep and know their Yotas.

Outside of the dizzy getting completely removed and somehow fawked up on reinstallation, I don't know what else it could be.

Correct dizzy installation, gaps and timing are the first things I'll ask about tomorrow.

 

[cruiserruf]

if the gaps are tampered with than i'd definitely check it out. otherwise the timing needs to be cranked to zero prior to removing the dizzy and before installing

 

[Brentbba]

if the gaps are tampered with than i'd definitely check it out. otherwise the timing needs to be cranked to zero prior to removing the dizzy and before installing

Yep - I just don't own a socket large enough to turn the crank pulley to check those final two gaps.

Don't know that I want to believe the timing is 'ok' either from the HG shop. They say that even if the dizzy was installed 1 or 2 teeth off that if the timing wa set properly there wouldn't be an issue with the dizzy. I just don't own the equipment to verify those statements. They've said the timing is right on. Easy for Jay to check.

Probably fairly easy for Jay to pop the dizzy out too! I've read the install procedures in the FSM about the timing being reset to zero.

 

[calstyl2]

Your heart meds are going to your brain.............I got dibs on the axles..........

 

[Brentbba]

Your heart meds are going to your brain.............I got dibs on the axles..........

One of them (metoprolol) slows down my heart beat down so not enough oxygen enriched blood to the brain...is that what you mean?

 

[calstyl2]

One of them (metoprolol) slows down my heart beat down so not enough oxygen enriched blood to the brain...is that what you mean?

Yeah, or you need full time O2, yer gonna come to your senses......Id just fly Robbie out to fix it rather than parting it.

 

[Brentbba]

Yeah, or you need full time O2, yer gonna come to your senses......Id just fly Robbie out to fix it rather than parting it.

Certainly would be cheaper than a car payment and all the mods I'd 'have to do' . Wish I'd have done that in the first place! Either that or have left it in Norcal where the HG blew in the first placefor Gary at Mudrak. Both have great reps and would have done it right from the beginning.

 

[calstyl2]

Mudrak don't know them high tech fuel injected coil spring rigs.........


J/K

 

[Brentbba]

Mudrak don't know them high tech fuel injected coil spring rigs.........


J/K

LOL! Of all the great advice I got when the HG blew up north was from Cruiserdrew about just taking it up to Gary in Sonoma. I was in Walnut Creek with the inlaws. It was very tempting given his cruiser expertise.

 

[SoCal_80]

Good luck tomorrow....I just got off the phone with Eric @ YotaMasters and they are well underway wrenching on mine. I am sure between Jay and Eric, all will be well for you. (Keeping fingers crossed for you).

 

[Brentbba]

...and the verdict is in from MASTER Jay!

HG shop had adjusted the VAF too lean. Why they would have been in there to begin with is beyond me. I'd noticed new sealant around it the last time I got it back from them.

Jay noticed it to after inspecting all the vacuum hoses and the timing. All were just fine.

He got out his pocket knife and removed the silicone sealant on the cover of the air flow meter and started playing with it. He noticed some small scratches were it had obviously been adjusted - too lean causing a misfire. Probably why it was only misfiring at idle and not at speed. It was starved for fuel! He adjusted it just a little and I sat there in D idling for a good 5 minutes running smooth as could be. Then took it out for a 10 minute stop and go drive, again smooth as could be. Back to the shop for another idle session again smooth as could be.

Well, well worth the 80 mile round trip to Yotamaster to see Eric and Jay!

I'll be driving the truck for the next few days to be absolutely sure, but Jay seems to have found the culprit...and I won't tell you just how fast he really found it because he's a modest guy.

Here's a pic of the offending system all buttoned (siliconed) back up.